Moral Licensing Explained

Moral Licensing

Accounting Analogy & Behavior Ledger

The core concept of moral licensing is rooted in an accounting analogy where our brain unconsciously or consciously records actions in a "behavior ledger." Good actions are credited, while bad actions potentially offset these credits.

• Credits: Good deeds, healthy choices, acts of service, displaying support for diversity.
• Debits: Unhealthy choices, discriminatory behavior, neglecting goals.

Positive Balance and Justification

When we accumulate a positive balance in our "moral ledger," our self-image improves. This surplus of "credits" can lead to feeling justified in engaging in "bad" behavior. We tell ourselves that because we've done so many good things, a few missteps won't negate our overall goodness.

Examples of Moral Licensing

• Eating a healthy salad for lunch, then indulging in unhealthy food like fries later in the day, feeling justified because of the earlier healthy choice.
• Exercising in the morning, then being more inclined to relax on the couch for the rest of the day.
• Runners skipping training because they ran a lot few days ago.

Moral Licensing in the Workplace

Organizations sometimes use diversity statements as a defense against discrimination lawsuits. The presence of a diversity statement can make people less likely to trust or support someone suing the company, regardless of the actual discriminatory practices within the organization.

The Charity Study: Mood and Donations

An experiment was conducted to determine the relationship between mood and charitable donations. Participants were asked to write stories about themselves using positive, negative, or neutral words to induce different emotional states.

• Expected Outcomes:
  • Feeling Good: Some hypothesized that feeling good would lead to increased donations, driven by a desire to "spread the joy."
  • Feeling Bad: Others thought feeling bad would increase donations as a way to compensate for negative feelings.
• Actual Outcome: Participants who were made to feel bad about themselves were more likely to donate.
  • Reasoning: Feeling bad creates a need to "make up for it", while feeling good reduces the perceived need to do something good.

Impact on Diversity Efforts

Moral licensing can undermine diversity efforts. Individuals who explicitly express support for diversity may subsequently be more likely to display bias or discriminate. The belief that they've already demonstrated they are "good" reduces their concerns about appearing prejudiced, leading them to let their guard down.

• Study Example: People who overtly expressed being against sexism were later found to discriminate against women by offering men more money for the same job.
• Organizational Level: When organizations outwardly support diversity (e.g., through diversity statements), employees may become less vigilant in noticing actual discriminatory behavior.

Combating Moral Licensing

To avoid moral licensing:

• Individuals:
  • Avoid labeling behaviors as "good" or "bad." Instead, frame them in relation to your goals and values and avoid using morality.
  • Focus on progress towards goals rather than viewing individual actions as balancing good and bad deeds. Instead of saying, for example: (\text{Salad} = \text{Good}) and (\text{Fries} = \text{Bad}), measure how food choices are in-line with nutrition goals.
  • Trick your brain by acknowledging that there is still a way to go to reach your goal.
• Organizations:
  • Set clear, measurable goals for diversity and inclusion, and hold themselves accountable for achieving those goals.
  • Define success in both the short and long term.
  • Consider each step as progress toward the goal rather than labeling actions as simply "good" or "bad".